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Portrait Painting as Picture Making: From Velasquez to Vuillard (Online Course) Winter 2027 w/ Rachel Drennen
February 8 to March 8 (Mondays) 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite. Our business hours are 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. All course information and email correspondence will be sent during business hours. If students purchase a course, workshop, demo or recording outside business hours or during the weekend the course information or recording will be sent the following business day.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/jkVqkNL76xA
Course Description
The portrayal of the human face is not just about exterior likeness, but emotional perception. In this five week course, we’ll explore the pictorial and oil painting secrets of my three favorite painters- Velasquez, Veronese, and Vuillard, and how they used representational technique and a compositional understanding to convey truth within a face. Divided by countries and time, their works are united in the visual language of line, form, and color. How to paint a face, how to tell a story— the art of representational illusion within abstraction. The class will both discuss and instruct in traditional techniques, as well as use the projects as a launching pad for personal artistic exploration.
Course Outline
Week 1 - Introduction
A brief introduction into the art of the three V’s, and a discussion on the nature of portraiture (45 min approx. slideshow). Ten minute break followed by a 1 hour pre-recorded demo of drawing a portrait from life, using charcoal and the sight-size method. Questions encouraged.
Homework assigned.
Week 2 - Velazquez
Review of last week’s homework.
A deep dive into the portraits of Velazquez, analyzing his technical and compositional choices, use of naturalism and visual impression to convey a sense of reality Ten minute break followed by a pre-recorded demo of a master-copy of a Velazquez portrait.
High resolution painting images provided for homework.
Week 3- Veronese
Review of the previous week’s homework.
Slide show on the work of Veronese, discussing his use of shape, color and line to convey the narrative and emotion.
Demo of Veronese copy.
High resolution painting images provided for homework.
Week 4 - Vuillard
Review of the previous week’s homework.
Slide show on the work of Vuillard, discussing the closeness and intimacy in his works conveyed through closeness in tone, pattern, and repeating motifs.
Demo of Vuillard copy.
High resolution painting images provided for homework.
Week 5 - Unification
Review of homework.
Recap and synthesis discussion of the artists’ works, aims, and artistic languages.
Personal project assigned as homework and to be reviewed after the course end.
Course Materials List
Charcoal
Canson paper
Oil paints recommended:
-Ivory black
-Titanium or zinc white
-Yellow ochre
-Vermillion red/cadmium red or alternatives
-Ultramarine blue
-Raw umber
Variety of brushes, palette
Turpentine or mineral spirits
Cold pressed Linseed oil
Variety of bristle and synthetic or natural sable brushes
Linen or cotton canvas (I recommend Claessens)
February 8 to March 8 (Mondays) 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite. Our business hours are 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. All course information and email correspondence will be sent during business hours. If students purchase a course, workshop, demo or recording outside business hours or during the weekend the course information or recording will be sent the following business day.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/jkVqkNL76xA
Course Description
The portrayal of the human face is not just about exterior likeness, but emotional perception. In this five week course, we’ll explore the pictorial and oil painting secrets of my three favorite painters- Velasquez, Veronese, and Vuillard, and how they used representational technique and a compositional understanding to convey truth within a face. Divided by countries and time, their works are united in the visual language of line, form, and color. How to paint a face, how to tell a story— the art of representational illusion within abstraction. The class will both discuss and instruct in traditional techniques, as well as use the projects as a launching pad for personal artistic exploration.
Course Outline
Week 1 - Introduction
A brief introduction into the art of the three V’s, and a discussion on the nature of portraiture (45 min approx. slideshow). Ten minute break followed by a 1 hour pre-recorded demo of drawing a portrait from life, using charcoal and the sight-size method. Questions encouraged.
Homework assigned.
Week 2 - Velazquez
Review of last week’s homework.
A deep dive into the portraits of Velazquez, analyzing his technical and compositional choices, use of naturalism and visual impression to convey a sense of reality Ten minute break followed by a pre-recorded demo of a master-copy of a Velazquez portrait.
High resolution painting images provided for homework.
Week 3- Veronese
Review of the previous week’s homework.
Slide show on the work of Veronese, discussing his use of shape, color and line to convey the narrative and emotion.
Demo of Veronese copy.
High resolution painting images provided for homework.
Week 4 - Vuillard
Review of the previous week’s homework.
Slide show on the work of Vuillard, discussing the closeness and intimacy in his works conveyed through closeness in tone, pattern, and repeating motifs.
Demo of Vuillard copy.
High resolution painting images provided for homework.
Week 5 - Unification
Review of homework.
Recap and synthesis discussion of the artists’ works, aims, and artistic languages.
Personal project assigned as homework and to be reviewed after the course end.
Course Materials List
Charcoal
Canson paper
Oil paints recommended:
-Ivory black
-Titanium or zinc white
-Yellow ochre
-Vermillion red/cadmium red or alternatives
-Ultramarine blue
-Raw umber
Variety of brushes, palette
Turpentine or mineral spirits
Cold pressed Linseed oil
Variety of bristle and synthetic or natural sable brushes
Linen or cotton canvas (I recommend Claessens)